More good play by the home side results in Willian skipping into the box and fizzing a pass across the face of goal, but it's just about cut out at the near post before it can find a blue shirt. That should be that for Chelsea.
90' +2
Lovely play by Fabregas and Kante sets up the French midfielder to dart down the right wing before trying to swing a cross into the penalty area, but he can't get the better of Besic and loses out to a well-timed but hefty sliding tackle from the Bosnian.
90'
The fourth official has indicated that there will be three minutes of added time.
89'
A. Christensen enters the game and replaces V. Moses.
Chelsea have made a defensive switch as they try to hold onto their two-goal lead, with Andreas Christensen coming on to replace Moses.
Sigurdsson eventually swings the free-kick into the box and towards the towering figure of Williams, but it lacks the power to trouble the home side and is easily collected by Courtois.
88'
César Azpilicueta gets yellow.
Lennon draws Azpilicueta into making a foul deep down the left flank, resulting in a free-kick for Everton and a yellow card for the Spanish defender. This is proving to be a good period of play for the Toffees.
87'
Inches away by Gueye! Rooney and Lennon can't get a shot away from inside the Chelsea box but manage to set up Gueye, who unleashes a rocket of a shot from the edge of the penalty area that deflects just over the top of the crossbar.
86'
Alonso tries to get the better of Pickford from 20 yards out, but his thumping strike is deflected behind for a Chelsea corner. It fails to result in a chance on goal, however, as the cross into the near post is underhit and easily dealt with by the visitors.
85'
Williams goes close to scoring! Sigurdsson curls a beautiful cross into the heart of the penalty area and onto the head of Williams, but the defender's glancing header bounces wide of the far post after beating Courtois.
84'
A looping cross into the Chelsea box should be easily dealt with by Luiz, but the Brazilian looks a bit flustered and ends up nodding the ball behind a corner. The set-piece is sent into a dangerous area, but Bakayoko is there to clear the danger without too much trouble.
83'
A. Lennon enters the game and replaces P. Jagielka.
Everton have made a late change as they try to find a way back into the game. Aaron Lennon has come on to replace Jagielka as the visitors switch to a four-man defence.
Minute
Description
82'
Luiz kicks out at Calvert-Lewin and catches the youngster out wide, resulting in a free-kick for Everton in a promising position. It's swung in by a deflects down to Williams, who pulls off a spinning volley that flies just a few yards over the top of the crossbar. That's the most worried Courtois' looked all day.
80'
A terrible pass by Williams sets up Willian to break towards the Everton penalty area before setting up Bakayoko. The Frenchman runs onto the ball and unleashes an almighty strike, but it's comfortably blocked before it can test Pickford.
78'
M. Batshuayi enters the game and replaces Álvaro Morata.
Chelsea have made another alteration, with Michy Batshuayi coming on to take the place of Morata.
76'
V. Moses gets yellow.
Moses catches Baines with a late challenge over on the left wing, resulting in a free-kick for Everton and a yellow card for the Nigeria international. That looked to be a sore one.
75'
T. Bakayoko enters the game and replaces Pedro.
Pedro receives a rousing round of applause from the home fans as he's replaced by Tiemoue Bakayoko, who comes on to make his home debut.
73'
The pace of the game has dropped somewhat, as Chelsea seem content to sit back and hold onto possession instead of bombing forward. They've been presented with very few problems from Everton, who, despite looking better since Calvert-Lewin's introduction, are still struggling in advanced areas.
71'
W. Rooney gets yellow.
Rooney has been frustrated all afternoon, and he's been involved in several arguments with the referee. The man in charge finally has enough after another outburst from the striker, and he shows him a yellow card for dissent.
70'
Calvert-Lewin does really well to pick up possession inside the Chelsea half of the pitch after chasing what seemed to be a lost cause. He then manages to work the ball over to Rooney, who shoots from 20 yards but sends his scuffed effort comfortably wide of its intended target.
69'
Alonso holds up the ball over on the left-hand side of the Everton box after a good run forward from Pedro, but the wing-back can't get the better of Holgate and has to settle for a corner. It's sent in by Fabregas and finds Azpilicueta on the edge of the penalty area, and the Spaniard quickly unleashes a low strike that's easily blocked inside the box.
68'
Baines, who has really struggled to get into the game in an attacking sense, picks up the ball out wide and quickly tries to pick out Calvert-Lewin with a lofted pass down the left flank. It's poorly hit, however, and can only find the hands of Courtois.
66'
Besic clatters into Pedro and sends the Spaniard crashing to the ground, resulting in a free-kick for Chelsea over on the left wing. It's sent short and worked back to Courtois, as the home side seem content to comfortably hold onto the ball as they protect their two-goal lead.
64'
A good run down the left flank by Alonso sets him up to swing a deep cross into the Everton box, but it's sent slightly too deep by the Spaniard and sails out for a goal-kick before it can find a team-mate.
62'
D. Calvert-Lewin enters the game and replaces Sandro Ramírez.
Everton have decided to make their first substitution of the afternoon, with Sandro making way for Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
60'
Another good opportunity for Chelsea! Once again, a defensive mix-up causes all sorts of problems for Everton at the back. This time it's Moses who darts through on goal and takes on Pickford, but his low shot is well saved by the goalkeeper in the middle of the goal. The Nigeria international had Willian to his left but decided to go it alone.
59'
Pedro goes close to making it 3-0! The resulting set-piece initially fails to result in a chance on goal, but Chelsea come back again quickly after doing well to keep the danger alive. Pedro sprints towards the box and then manages to get a shot away, but it's slightly mishit and flies just wide of the near post.
58'
Moses and Azpilicueta link up well out wide, setting up the Spaniard to fire a low cross into the heart of the penalty area. It should be easily dealt with by Pickford, but the goalkeeper gets into a slight mix-up with Williams and Holgate is needed to poke the ball behind for a corner.
57'
Lovely play by Chelsea sees Fabregas work the ball down the left wing and into the path of Morata. The striker holds up the ball up well, spins and then fires a cross into the middle of the box, where Besic does well to latch onto the ball before thumping it out for a throw-in.
55'
Everton are continuing to struggle on the rare occasions they're able to push forward. This time it's Gueye who's presented with a chance to find a team-mate around the penalty area, but a misplaced pass from the midfielder bounces down the right flank and away from danger.
53'
Space opens up for Moses over on the right wing, allowing him to dart into the Everton box on a great run. He then tries to unleash a close-range shot at the near post, but he's put under pressure by Besic and is put off by the Bosnian.
51'
The resulting corner is swung in from the left flank and almost manages to pick out an Everton player in front of goal, but the home side have plenty of bodies back to deal with the danger.
50'
Vital block by Rudiger! A poor pass from Azpilicueta is quickly cut out by Sigurdsson, who then tees up Rooney to charge forward. The striker does so and then picks out Sandro with a clever pass into the box, but the Spaniard can't test Courtois as his low shot is well intercepted by Rudiger at the vital moment.
48'
Good play by Chelsea seems them embark on a positive start to the second half. Morata and Pedro link up well just outside of the Everton box before the Spanish midfielder gets a shot away, but his curling effort flies a few yards wide of the near post.
46'
M. Bešić enters the game and replaces T. Davies.
Everton have made one substitution during the half-time break, with Davies making way for Muhamed Besic.
We're underway once again!
45' +2
Everton try to push forward on one last attack down the right flank, but Rooney's hoofed pass into the path of Sandro fails to find the Spaniard and is easily collected by Alonso.
45'
The fourth official has indicated that there will be two minutes of added time.
44'
Sandro Ramirez and Rooney link up well on the edge of the Chelsea penalty area before the latter tees up Holgate to cross. The youngster fires a low, bouncing ball into the box, but it takes a slight deflection that makes it easier for the home side to deal with.
42'
Pedro initially looks to be through on goal, but he's closed down as soon as he enters the penalty area and can't get a shot away. Instead, he turns and works the ball back to Fabregas, who shoots from 30 yards out but can't get the better of Pickford in the middle of the goal.
40'
Álvaro Morata has scored a goal for Chelsea! Assist by César Azpilicueta.
GOAL! It's another for the hosts! Azpilicueta is left in a pocket of space 30 yards away from goal and curls a brilliant cross into the heart of the Everton box. Morata rises high and easily beats his marker to latch onto the ball, and he then sends a looping header over Pickford and into the back of the net.
That was an excellent cross into the penalty area from Azpilicueta, who picked out Morata perfectly and put the ball on a plate for the high-rising Spaniard.
39'
Chelsea are continuing to put really pressure on the Everton back line as they push forward in search of a second goal. The Toffees are continuing to struggle to get out of their own half of the pitch, where they look caged in and uncomfortable.
37'
Willian holds up the ball on the edge of the Everton box as he tries to find a way through on goal. He's unable to do so and has to spin and find Fabregas, who then attempts to pick out Morata with a through-ball but can't pick out the striker in front of goal.
35'
Ouch! Gueye and Willian crash into one another as they try to battle for a bouncing ball in the middle of the pitch. It leaves the two rather worse for wear, but the game gets underway with a drop ball after they're able to get back to their feet.
33'
It's been a tough opening half an hour for Sigurdsson, who hasn't seen much of the ball inside the Chelsea half of the pitch. He's eventually able to pick up possession before getting a shot away, but his low strike is easily dealt with by Thibaut Courtois.
31'
After dealing with yet another Chelsea attack, Everton are able to push forward on a rare foray into the home side's half of the pitch. They win themselves a throw-in that sets up Holgate to dart into the right-hand side of the box, but the youngster final touch is slightly too heavy and denies him the opportunity to work the ball over to a team-mate.
29'
Luiz picks up the ball deep inside the Chelsea half of the pitch and quickly tries to set up Morata on the halfway line. The defender's pass flies towards the striker, but he's barged off the ball by Williams at the vital moment and loses out to the Everton centre-back.
27'
Cesc Fàbregas has scored a goal for Chelsea! Assist by Álvaro Morata.
GOAL! Chelsea have taken the lead! Willian holds up the ball well over on the right flank before spinning and finding Fabregas. The Spaniard quickly penetrates the box and plays a one-two with Morata, who knocks the ball over a defender and into the feet of the midfielder to slot past Pickford.
Morata was slightly lucky with the way the ball managed to deflect slightly on its way down to Fabregas, but it was still lovely play by the duo, who showed great understanding with one another inside the Everton penalty area.
26'
A dangerous, curling cross from Victor Moses looks set to find Morata, but Ashley Williams does well to nod the ball behind for a corner. The set-piece is fired in by Fabregas, but the Spaniard's low cross is hit terribly and doesn't even manage to penetrate the penalty area.
24'
Everton are now guilty of poor play in the middle of the pitch. This time it's Tom Davies who sends a misplaced pass straight to a member of the opposition, but, luckily for him, Pedro's attempted through-ball up to Willian is underhit and easily cut out.
22'
A slightly risky pass from Cesar Azpilicueta is easily cut out by Gylfi Sigurdsson over on the left wing. The Icelander tries to take immediate advantage of the mistake, but Chelsea have plenty of bodies back to deal with the danger.
20'
Alonso accidentally handles the ball and Everton are awarded a free-kick midway inside the Chelsea half of the pitch. It's sent short and eventually worked over to Rooney, who is immediately clattered into by both Alonso and Kante, leaving him in a heap on the floor.
18'
Everton try to play out from the back after a Chelsea attacking move fails to result in a chance on goal. They're unable to penetrate the hosts' half of the pitch though, as high pressing from the Blues and a poor pass from Wayne Rooney results in a throw-in for the home side.
16'
It's been a really positive start to the game by Chelsea, who are moving the ball around with speed and purpose. Everton are struggling to close down the space in central areas, with Fabregas and N'Golo Kante comfortably running the show at the moment.
14'
Fabregas comfortably manages to carve out a pocket of space for himself in the middle of the pitch as he charges away from his marker. He then pokes a pass forward to Pedro and tees up his fellow Spaniard to shoot, but, once again, Pickford is able to stop the shot with a decent save.
13'
Chelsea keep the danger alive after Everton fail to fully clear the ball. The home side quickly push forward once again and set up David Luiz to shoot from distance, but his low effort is well stopped by Jordan Pickford in the middle of the goal.
12'
Willian manages to reach the edge of the Everton box once again before this time deciding to shoot, but his 20-yard effort deflects off Jagielka's outstretched foot and behind for a corner. It's sent short and worked back to William, whose low cross towards the near post almost finds a team-mate but is thumped away at the vital moment.
10'
Audacious effort by Pedro! Willian skips through the middle of the pitch on a great run as he easily beats Phil Jagielka. He then picks out Morata, who spins and tees up Pedro. The Spaniard has his back to goal, but he manages to pull off an acrobatic overhead kick that sails a few yards over the top of the crossbar.
9'
I. Gueye gets yellow.
With just nine minutes on the clock, the referee's yellow card has already been brandished. It's Idrissa Gueye who's received it for a late and slightly high challenge on Cesc Fabregas.
7'
Everton try to push forward on their first attacking move of the game as Mason Holgate takes on Alonso out wide. He's unable to find a way past the Spaniard and has to thump a ball down the right flank, where it fails to reach a team-mate and is easily dealt with by Antonio Rudiger.
5'
Pedro picks up the ball midway inside the Everton half of the pitch and quickly picks out Morata on the edge of the Everton box. The striker takes on Michael Keane and goes down under a challenge from the defender, but the referee waves away the striker's pleas for a free-kick and allows play to go on.
3'
Marcos Alonso charges down the left wing before finding himself trapped in a cul-de-sac. He then spins and finds Alvaro Morata, who tries to penetrate the Everton penalty area before firing in a low cross that's easily dealt with at the near post.
1'
We're off! Everton get us underway, attacking from left to right.
Good afternoon and welcome to our live text commentary of today’s Premier League game between Chelsea and Everton at Stamford Bridge.
Defeat against Burnley in Chelsea’s opening game of the season sent shockwaves through the Premier League, leaving many wondering whether this title defence would end up being just as disastrous as the last. The Blues were off the pace and struggled to assert themselves in the middle of the pitch, but a much improved performance last weekend has temporarily got them back on track.
This week has been a tough one for Everton, with questionable fixture scheduling seeing them play three away games in just six days. Despite their busy schedule, the Toffees have enjoyed a positive start to the season, with a win and draw against Stoke City and Manchester City being followed by progression into the group stage of the Europa League.
There’s no doubt today’s clash is set to be a tough one for Everton, who have a string of difficult games coming up over the next few weeks. Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United both await them in their next two Premier League outings, and they’ve traditionally struggled against teams from the upper echelons of the table. Since 2011, they’ve won just one of their 40 league meetings away to the previous season’s top six sides.
Last November’s trip to Stamford Bridge was a particularly miserable one, and it’s a game Ronald Koeman will not want to relive this afternoon. Everton were mercilessly thrashed 5-0 by a rampant Chelsea side, extending their Premier League winless run in this part of west London to 22 games. It’s the Toffees’ longest away run without a win at another club in the top flight, stretching all the way back to November 1994.
There’s just under 15 minutes left to go until kick-off, so let’s have a look at how the two teams will be lining up this afternoon…
Chelsea substitutes: Caballero, Tomori, Christensen, Musonda, Bakayoko, Kenedy, Batshuayi.
Chelsea XI (3-4-3): Courtois; Azpilicueta, Luiz, Rudiger; Moses, Fabregas, Kante, Alonso; Pedro, Morata, Willian.
Antonio Conte has decided to make two changes to the Chelsea side that started the 2-1 win against Tottenham last weekend, with Cesc Fabregas and Pedro returning to the starting line-up to replace Andreas Christensen and Tiemoue Bakayoko.
Meanwhile, Everton boss Ronald Koeman has also made two alterations to the team that featured in their last league outing, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin and the suspended Morgan Schneiderlin making way for Sandro Ramirez and Gylfi Sigurdsson, the latter of whom is set to make his first Premier League start for the Toffees.
The two sides are making their way out onto the pitch, with just a few minutes to go until kick-off.
HALF-TIME: CHELSEA 2-0 EVERTON
It's proving to be a very comfortable afternoon for Chelsea, who were easily able to stroll their way to a 2-0 lead in what was a relatively straight-forward first half. Kante and Fabregas have been running the show in the middle of the pitch, whilst Morata has been a real handful for the Everton back line. The visitors have had very little joy up front, where they've failed to have a single touch inside the hosts' penalty area, despite the best efforts of Rooney.
The two teams are making their way back out on to the pitch ahead of the start of the second half.
FULL-TIME: CHELSEA 2-0 EVERTON
In the end, it was a relatively comfortable game for Chelsea, who were always on top and never looked like letting their lead slip once they'd gone 2-0 up. It was obvious that Everton have been required to deal with a tiring week, as they seemed off the pace and lacking in energy. As a result, the home side easily bossed the contest, restricting their opponents a few half-chances late on.
Despite his side not quite being at their best, Antonio Conte will no doubt have been over the moon with last Sunday’s win away to Tottenham Hotspur. Chelsea led for most of the game and did well to come away with all three points, with two-goal Marcos Alonso the star of the show. Another victory here today would go a long way to suggesting the opening day defeat against Burnley was just a minor blip rather than the start of a full-blown catastrophe.
Commentary
More…